(Note: This comes from my own personal FB page. It was a rant in response to the recent Hitler comments made by the President. I was asked to put it up here because we came to the conclusion that this needs to be discussed, and in a forum where cooler heads prevail

The New York Times article on this story may be found here, complete with a video of President Duterte making these comments:

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte said Friday that he would like to kill millions of drug addicts in the Philippines, defying international criticism of his country’s bloody war on narcotics and escalating his brutal rhetoric with a reference to the Holocaust.

“Hitler massacred three million Jews,” Mr. Duterte said after returning to the Philippines from a trip to Vietnam, understating the toll cited by historians, which is six million. “Now there is three million, there’s three million drug addicts. There are. I’d be happy to slaughter them.”

Killing that number of drug users would “finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition,” he said.

Since Mr. Duterte took office in June promising a grisly campaign against crime and drugs, the Philippines has seen a surge in killings of drug suspects.

Philippine officials have counted about 3,000 deaths during the crackdown, about a third at the hands of the police.

The police spokesman Dionardo Carlos said on Friday that the police had been overstating the number killed by the police. He said that the correct number was 1,120, not about 1,500, which the police had given earlier. He did not explain why the number had been revised.

The police have also said that 1,500 nonpolice killings are under investigation and that hundreds of these also are believed to be drug-related.

Responding to expressions of alarm about the killings from the European Union and other international bodies, Mr. Duterte said Friday that the European Union’s advisers on the issue were “pea-brained.” He criticized European officials for finding fault with his government while not doing enough to help migrants fleeing war-torn Middle Eastern countries.

“You allow them to rot, and then you’re worried about the death of about 1,000, 2,000, 3,000?” he said.

Mr. Duterte complained that his foreign critics had depicted him as “a cousin of Hitler” and said that they were wrong to criticize him now that he was the country’s president. Doing so put all Filipinos “to shame,” he said.

The president’s latest provocative remarks came days after he cast doubt on the Philippines’ longstanding military ties with the United States, announcing in Vietnam that the countries’ coming joint military exercises would be their last. Officials in his government later said that all military agreements with the United States were still in effect and that they were awaiting “clarification and guidance” from Mr. Duterte.

While in Vietnam, Mr. Duterte also said he had received information that “the C.I.A. is planning to kill me.” Officials in his government and at the United States Embassy in Manila declined to comment on that statement.

A spokeswoman for the embassy, Molly Koscina, said Friday that the United States would continue to work with the Philippines to “uphold our shared democratic values.” She said the relationship was built on “shared sacrifices for democracy and human rights, and strong people-to-people and societal ties, and obviously we’d like to see that continue.”

Now the "anak ng puta" likens himself to Hitler in terms of how many people he would like to slaughter?

Hitler slaughtered 6 million Jews, homosexuals, gypsys, and others that the state termed "undesirable". There is no way in the universe that monster should ever be mentioned in anything positive......ever. And now the president of the republic wants to emulate that kind of systematic slaughter?

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew.

A senior defense official, speaking on background Thursday before the ASEAN meeting, said the Pentagon was seeking to “clarify” Duterte’s comments when Carter met with Lorenzana here.

< snipped >

A State Department spokesman said Friday that the comments were “troubling,” but indicated that the relationship between the two nations would continue on the strength of their shared past.

”This is not a zero sum game for us. We're not trying to dictate with whom the Philippines should have strong relations with,” Mark Toner, State Department deputy spokesman, said at a press briefing. “Our only concern is that we want to maintain our strong relationship with the Philippines but again, I'll stress that it has to be one that's based on shared values, Democratic values, respect for human rights and words matter, I'll say it again.”

Hitler and the Holocaust is a virtual "no-go" zone for anyone, anytime, anywhere. It is still very much a sensitive subject anywhere in the world. And in as much as [insert generic person here] is complaining about being compared to Hitler, the topic is still a virtual "no-go" zone for anyone, anytime, anywhere. The subject of the Holocaust is so sacrosanct that even if provoked the subject is untouchable.......you're not allowed to give into the provocation. You can fire back by working around it. But the Holocaust is off-limits.

And rightfully so. Such was the unspeakable barbarity of the Holocaust.

I would say this is true for anyone who makes an utterance about the subject. Not just Rodrigo Duterte.

But then the individual in question crosses the line further by drawing comparisons, and indicating a wish to kill 3 million himself. The last part raises alarm bells in and of itself. It is something that will draw a reaction, especially from those outside the Philippines.

Again, if such statements were made by some other person, in some other country, they would be flayed alive. It isn't just President Duterte that would draw that kind of ire.

Duterte is crass and foul mouthed. Both of which are counter-productive for a high-profile position where diplomacy is part of the job description. Euphemisms, expressions and statements that fall under the category of “inside jokes” do not translate well -- even beyond domestic regional divides. If even non-Visayans have difficulty making contextual, rather than literal, interpretations of his speeches . . . what hope will a foreigner ever have of This adds avoidable, inexcusably unnecessary, complexity to our foreign relations. Even among our traditional allies who are -- theoretically -- more accustomed to our cultural idiosyncracies and our history.

Rational Duterte supporters will agree with this. In the speeches this month, even Duterte conceded to the issues his language is causing and has started to simply inaudibly mouthing his favorite expression rather than actually verbalizing it. Tacit acceptance that the prevailing state of affairs is, inherently, disadvantageous to the nation as a whole, and his administration in particular.

His demeanor creates problems that didn’t have to be there in a first place. Less unnecessary, extraneous, talk . . . less mistake. Only time will tell the extent to which Duterte FINALLY learns that lesson.

As inexcusable as the Hitler frackas is, there is a method to this madness. In fact, there is even a benefit to appearing mad. Let that sink for a bit . . . then continue reading.

This foul-mouthed persona fits in with a much broader narrative that fits with his trademark approach to law enforcement -- which remains his flagship initiative: Deterrence and fear management..

Duterte is a career government executive who knows how to motivate the population under his care. He is well acquainted with the tools at his disposal . . . to include fear, which he regularly wielded to deter criminals or implement behavioral adjustment when he was a mayor.

The power of fear greatly greatly benefits from uncertainty about the extent to which the President is willing to go against the enemies of the state that he has chosen to target in his war on drugs.

If one keeps this in mind . . . the rationale for his ill-chosen Hitler hyperbole becomes clear. Same goes for his threats to “kill” that he made throughout his campaign and even to this day. It is his intent to the be the drug lord’s worst nightmare, and what nightmare is scarier than Hitler?

Sounding like a mad-man, which a fair number of folks have actually come to believe, lends credibility to his threats.

What folks appear to be missing . . . is that it is actually WORKING for the intended audience. This is evidenced by the sheer number of individuals who’ve actually flooded the existing drug rehabilitation centers.

This is Psychological Operations at its finest people. Any student of martial affairs ought to be familiar the following quote from Sun Tzu

“Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.”

If you can get your enemies, and those that would threaten your way of life, to abandon armed conflict peacefully -- through a combination of incentives and the FEAR of consequences -- then what responsible leader would not try?

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Level-headed critics of the President’s methods rightly point out the need for checks and balances. Skeptical critics allege that the President’s threats and antics are evidence that the need for those checks are lost on the President.

It would do the latter category of critic well to remember that Duterte is more intimately familiar with the workings of Philippine jurisprudence than the majority of his critics. He was, after all, a government prosecutor before he entered politics.

The following excerpt from his inauguration speech is relevant to this discussion (see time index 05:27):

“As a lawyer and former prosecutor, I know the limits of the power and authority of the President. I know what is legal and what is not. My adherence to due process and the rule of law is uncompromising”.

Now, consider the following statement he made both in Vietnam and his press conference in Davao after returning from Vietnam, he repeatedly said:

“There is nothing illegal about threatening criminals”

These are threats. Will he act on those threats? If you think he is really crazy . . .

His statements that challenge the status quo also dovetail well with his efforts to establish credibility with the enemies of the state whom he wants to abandon the armed struggle. This is true for both domestic and foreign enemies. His vocal anti-US stance actually neutralizes their go-to response to peace overtures -- that the PH government is merely an "imperialist puppet".

Any serious student of statecraft OUGHT to understand that conversations in front of the media are not the ONLY conversations that take place. The former can even be used to either obfuscate ongoing initiatives, or be used to extract concessions that would otherwise not be possible.

Naturally, the very nature of such discussions require them to remain out-of-sight. Given the controversial nature of the public pronouncements, which fly in the face of long-standing international norms, the diplomatic machines of world governing bodies and world powers are automatically obligated to issue official public rebukes, since failure to do so would appear to be tacit approval of such pronouncements.

Behind closed doors . . . it ought to be safe to say that more rational discussions are taking place. Absence of evidence of such discussions are often touted as evidence of absence, which further complicates the delicate dance that Duterte is apparently making with the status quo. Complicated even further by his lack of tact.

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But . . . what if Duterte REALLY crosses the line?

Every level-headed supporter of ANY point of view needs to be mindful of their “Red-lines”. Lines that should never be crossed is support for that point of view is to continue. Related to this, “trip wires” need to be laid down to warn of approach of that line . . . as well as when such lines are crossed.

Many have suggested that Duterte’s statements alone crossed any reasonable red lines. Especially his statements towards the US and overtures towards alternative powers, to inlude the unthinkable: China.

Let’s think about that for a moment.

The ultimate reason why relations with any country are strong in the first place is built upon in the sheer number of out-of-the-sight-of-media relations that exist at all levels of government. The periodic occupant of the Office of the President is but one such relation. It is, of course, a very important position as it dictates the course of foreign policy. But it does not sever all lines of communication and all linkages.

If all 71 years of US-PH relations can be irrepairably damaged by the antics of a single politician, then common-sense dictates that we question that strength -- and nature -- of that relationship in the first place. Look to the Netanyahu incident, prior to the 2012 US elections, for an example of how mature relations between independent nations can take dramatic turns, without permanent effects.

If we are ever to arrive at a resolution with China, a dialogue must take place. It would be foolish to pretend that the it did not exist. One does not defeat a bully by ignoring him. That is done by facing him. Standing up to him as the situation demands, and if necessary defuse the situation with calm words.

At this point in our history, we as a people need to reflect on what it means to be independent, and what it means to be an ally. If there is any legacy that Duterte can leave behind, it would at the very least be this conversation.

How does one know when such trip wires have been triggered? That is what discussion groups like the DRP are for. To foster frank, level-headed, discussions about where things are going. This is why Opus’ decision to shutdown the Timawa forum is atrociously ill-timed, and why it became necessary to create this alternative forum.

Duterte again says sorry to Jewish community | Business World - October 05, 2016

Quote

“Please accept my apology, it will never happen again. We will always be friends,” Mr. Duterte said before members of the Jewish Association of the Philippines during a gathering in a synagogue in Makati Tuesday.

Mr. Duterte on Sunday initially apologized to the Jewish community after causing outrage over his remarks comparing his drugs war to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s genocide of an estimated six million Jews in World War II.

After refusing to deliver a prepared speech because “it does not show my emotions,” Mr. Duterte did an impromptu talk and explained to his audience the government’s crackdown on narco-traffickers.

“There is no law that says I cannot threaten criminals,” the President said, referring to criticisms he has received from the United States, the European Union and international human rights groups for the alleged extrajudicial killings supposedly endorsed by his administration in the war against narcotics.

President Rodrigo Duterte links arms with Israeli Ambassador Effie Ben Matityau and members of the Jewish Association of the Philippines as he meets with them at the Beit Yaacov Synagogue, The Jewish Association of the Philippines in Makati on Oct. 4. AFP

The "red line", IMO is what Durtete is prepared to concede to China in real terms for a "grand bargain".

I agree, the hot air is just that, hot air that has been blowing into people faces. He's not wrong to have pointed out that the current US-Philippines relationship is less than ideal (hypocritical might be another word).

Duterte, 73, arrived in Israel earlier Sunday for a visit that has drawn widespread condemnation, given his human rights record and his recent comparison of himself to Hitler.

Duterte was met at Ben Gurion Airport by Communication Minister Ayoub Kara of the governing Likud party, before heading off to Jerusalem to meet with some 1,400 Filipinos.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories FREE SIGN UPThe meeting was closed to Israeli journalists, but reporters travelling with Duterte said that he gave a rambling talk of more than an hour, during which aids frequently tried to get him to tone down his colorful language.

During the speech, Duterte apologized to former US President Barack Obama for calling him a “son of a whore” in 2016 ahead of a planned meeting where he warned he would not be lectured by Obama over concerns about a brutal war on crime that had then claimed more than 2,400 lives in the Philippines.

“You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum,” Duterte told reporters when asked about his message for Obama.

“I am sorry for uttering those words,” Duterte said Sunday in Jerusalem, according to a reporter with the Manila Bulletin. It was not immediately clear why he chose to address the Obama insult during his Israel visit. He also told Obama he had forgiven him too.

The president also defended his recent remarks in which he said there would be many rape cases in a Philippine city “if there were many beautiful women.”

Duterte told the crowd he was joking, but also said he was just exercising his right to freedom of speech in a democracy.

< Edited >

He drew outrage that year when he compared his anti-drug campaign to the Holocaust and himself to Adolf Hitler, saying he would be “happy to slaughter” three million addicts as the Nazi leader slaughtered the Jews. He later apologized.

< Edited >

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The president of the Philippines Rodrigo Roa Duterte (C) waves upon his arrival in Jerusalem at the start of an official visit to Israel, on September 2, 2018. (AFP PHOTO / MENAHEM KAHANA)